David Mark Eckstein Bio Info

David Mark Eckstein...married to actress Ashley Eckstein, who is the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Cartoon Network's hit show
Star Wars, The Clone Wars...graduated from Seminole (FLA) High School in 1993 where he was a two-time All-State baseball
selection and member of the state championship team...attended the University of Florida and was a walk-on with the Gators
baseball team in the fall of 1994...honored as a two-time All-Southeastern Conference first-team All American and a threetime
SEC Academic Honor Roll selection (1995-97)...became the first two-time GTE Academic All-American in Gator history
and played for the 1996 College World Series team that finished third in the nation...his brother, Rick, is hitting coach for
the Washington Nationals...co-authored his autobiography "Have Heart," a first-person account of overcoming adversity.2009In his first year with the Padres, played in 136 games, including 124 starts at second base...
missed 19 games while on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring...signed a one-year extension
8/22.
Reached base safely via hit, walk or hit by pitch in 107 of the 133 games in which he had at least one plate appearance...
posted a .323 on-base percentage...Ranked second on the team (Kouzmanoff), being hit by nine pitches...tied for 16th in the National League...Set a career high with 27 doubles, besting his previous mark of 26 set in 2001 (with ANA) and 2005 (with STL)...Ranked second in the Majors and led the National League with a .996 fielding percentage at second base...made just two
errors in 556 total chances...ranked tied with Placido Polanco for the fewest errors by a qualifying second baseman...Fourth most difficult batter to strikeout in the NL, fanning once every 12.35 plate appearances...Hit .340 (72-for-212) with runners on base, .311 (37-for-119) with runners in scoring position and .317 (19-for-60) with
runners in scoring position and two outs.2008Combined to hit .265 (86-for-324) with 21 doubles, two home
runs and 27 RBI...The Blue Jays shortstop to begin the season, starting 29 of the
team's first 34 games...Strung together a season-high, eight-game hit streak on two
occasions: 4/3-12 (.333, 11-for-33) and 6/5-14 (.357, 10-for-28)...Placed on the 15-day disabled list 5/7 due to a strained right
groin...reinstated 5/27 and made 27 starts at shortstop, nine
as designated hitter and four at second base before his 8/31
trade to ARI...Start at second base 8/1 at TEX marked his ﬁrst action at the
position since his rookie season in 2001...Acquired by ARI 8/31 in exchange for RHP Chad Beck...Started 18 of the D-backs ﬁnal 26 games at second base and did
not commit an error in 95 total chances.2007Surpassed the .300 mark for the first time in his Big League career, hitting .309 (134-for-434)...
finished second on the Cardinals to Albert Pujols in both batting and hits despite missing time due
to injury...Led the Cardinals in hit by pitches (12) and stolen bases (10)...second on the club with 42 multi-hit tilts and tied Pujols
for the team lead with 13, three-hit contests...Made a career-high 20 errors (7 throwing, 13 fielding)...marked the most by a STL shortstop since Edgar Renteria had
24 in 2001...Each of his three home runs were leadoff shots, the most by a Cardinal since Tony Womack hit three in 2004...Notched three hits and drove in STL's lone run in the season opener 4/1 vs. NY (NL)...extended his Opening Day hit
streak to seven games...Scored his 500th career run on 4/9 at PIT...Improved his season batting average by 100 points from 5/12-6/12 (.207 to .307), batting .449 (35-78) over 20
games...Collected his 1,000th career hit on 6/10 vs. LA (AL), enjoying a three-hit game...6/13 at KC, left the game in the fourth inning with lower back tightness...placed on the DL 6/14...missed 23 games
before coming off the DL on 7/13...Hit .306 (74-for-242) in the second half, sixth among NL shortstops (min. 200 PA) and 10th among Major Leaguers at
the position...Finished fifth among NL batters in September (.391; 34-for-87), raising his average from .288 to .309 in season's final
month.2006A National League All-Star for the second straight season...named the World Series Most Valuable
Player after hitting .364 in the Fall Classic against the Tigers...Ranked second among NL batters in percent of making contact, missing just 64 of 898 swings (7.1 percent)...fourth in
the NL in fewest strikeouts per total plate appearances (1/13.46 AB)...Finished tied for fourth in the NL with 15 HBP...Was a late selection to the NL All-Star squad, chosen by NL Manager Phil Garner to replace the injured Jose Reyes
(NYM)...Returned to the lineup 6/20 after missing three games with a mild concussion...Left the game 8/18 at CHI (NL) (3rd inning) with a left oblique strain suffered in a slide at home...missed 24 games
8/19-9/15 on the DL...Made his first start after the injury 9/22 at HOU, going 3-for-4 with his fourth career leadoff homer...Removed from the game on 9/24 at HOU with a left hamstring strain...In Game 4 of the NLCS vs. NY, hit a solo homer to lead off the fifth, his second career postseason long ball...recorded
a squeeze bunt in the sixth inning, his second career postseason squeeze bunt (also Game 2, 2005 NLDS vs. SD)...first
player since 1930 to have more than one RBI sac bunt in postseason play...Garnered World Series MVP honors with a .364 average and a team-high-tying eight hits and four RBI...Eight hits marked the second most by a Cardinals shortstop in a single World Series...Tommy Thevenow had 10 hits in
the 1926 World Series...Went a combined 0-for-9 in Games 1 and 2 at DET but tallied eight hits in the final three games after the series shifted
to STL...Was the only Cardinal to record multi-hits in the Game 3 win, notching two singles and scoring after a walk...Went 4-for-5 with three doubles in Game 4 and drove in the game-winning run...became the third player in the past 50
years to collect three doubles in a World Series game, joining Trot Nixon (BOS, 2004, GM 4) and Bret Boone (ATL, 1999,
GM 3)...the eighth Cardinal to have four hits in a World Series contest...Knocked in the go-ahead run with a groundout in the fourth inning of Game 5...finished with two hits and two RBI in
the championship-clinching game.2005Earned his first All-Star selection in his first season in the National League after signing with
the Cardinals in December...Matched single-season career high with eight homers...Led all of Major League Baseball in making contact, missing on just 5.0 percent of his swings (57 of 1,149)...Second in the NL in fewest strikeouts per total plate appearances (1/16.20 AB) and fourth in at-bats (630)...Placed fourth in the Majors (min. 100 PA) with a .373 average (47-for-126) with runners in scoring position...Finished tied for first in the NL with 57 multi-hit games...Led Cardinals batters in hit by pitches (13) and triples (7)...Became just the fourth Opening Day shortstop for STL in the last 24 seasons joining Ozzie Smith (1982-95), Royce Clayton
(1996-98) and Edgar Renteria (1999-2004)...Reached base safely in all five plate appearances 4/8 vs. PHI and eight straight overall
dating back to 4/6...Made a career-high three errors 5/22 at KC...Broke a 1-1 tie 7/6 at ARI with a ninth-inning suicide squeeze to score the winning
run...delivered game-winning run in the 11th 7/22 vs. CHI (NL) with a one-out
squeeze bunt single...Started his first career All-Star game 7/12 at DET...went 0-for-2 batting
eighth...79 hits from 8/1 through the end of the season were second in the Majors
behind SEA's Randy Winn (83)...Hit safely in 30 of his final 34 games from 8/26-10/4 (.374, 52-for-
139)...Batted .385 (5-for-13) in the Division Series vs. SD with one home run
and four RBI...five hits matched the team high (Pujols)...Went 4-for-20 (.200) in the six-game NLCS vs. HOU, scoring a teamhigh
five runs...the four hits came in a pair of two-hit, two-run
efforts in Games 1 and 5.2004Made his fourth consecutive Opening Day start with
ANA...led all Major League shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage...Was the second most difficult batter to fan in the American League (1/13.00 AB)...Finished fourth in the AL with 14 sacrifice bunts...Missed 18 games during the season with multiple injuries but did not go on the DL
(strained right groin and right hamstring; bruised left knee)...Teamed with Adam Kennedy as the first second base-shortstop tandem to start
three consecutive Opening Days for the Angels since Bobby Knoop and Jim Fregosi
started six straight, 1964-69...Career-best, 18-game hit streak (5th longest in AL), 5/14-6/3 (.431, 31-for-
72)...Went 5-for-5 6/2 vs. BOS, establishing career best in hits...became the first
player to go 4-for-4 off Pedro Martinez since Rick Wilkins with SF in 1996...Hit safely in all three games of the ALDS vs. BOS and started each game at
shortstop...hit .333 (4-for-12) with two runs scored in the series.2003Multiple injuries limited him to 120 games...went on the disabled list for the first time in his
career in August.
Posted a .984 fielding percentage, second among AL shortstops behind TEX's Alex Rodriguez (.989)...Ranked among the top 10 AL leaders in sacrifice bunts (T-4th, 10) and hit by pitch (T-6th, 15) for third consecutive
season...Struck out just once every 11.5 at-bats for the fifth-best ratio in the AL...Placed on 15-day disabled list 8/19 (retro to 8/18) due to nerve irritation in his right hamstring...also had MRI on his
lower back (inflamed nerve) 8/18...activated 9/9...Missed six games due to a deep bruise and strain in his right shoulder as a result of collision with Garret Anderson, 7/6
at OAK (7th inning).2002Posted a .293 average, tying the Angels record for the highest single-season mark by a shortstop
(min. 100 games)...knocked a Major League-best three grand slams...hit safely in 13 of 16 postseason
games en route to ANA's World Series title...Angels were 58-17 when he scored a run...Led the AL with 14 sac bunts...second in fewest strikeouts per total plate appearances (1/15.95 AB)...Hit by a pitch a Major League most 27 times...plunked for the 22nd time 8/9 at TOR, breaking his own club record from
2001 (21)...His 63 RBI ranked third among ML leadoff hitters, behind Yankees Alfonso Soriano (102) and Twins Jacque Jones (85)...Led Majors with three grand slams, connecting for third grand slam 6/9 vs. CIN (2nd inning), joining Joe Rudi (1978 and
1979) as only second Angel to post three grand slams in one season...joined Kirby Puckett (1992) as only players 5' 8"
or under in last 20 years to post three grand slams or more in one season...First career grand slam 4/27 vs. TOR (5th inning)...connected for walk-off grand slam the next game (4/28 vs. TOR),
becoming 21st player and first shortstop in ML history to hit grand slams in consecutive games...also first player since
Albert Belle (6/14-15/00) and the second Angel to accomplish the feat (also, Willie Aikens, 6/13-14/79 vs. TOR)...was
the first player in ML history whose first two career grand slams came in consecutive contests...In the postseason, tallied six multi-hit efforts en route to hitting .294...Limited to three runs through first two rounds of the playoffs before scoring six runs during seven games of the Fall
Classic...Went 3-for-5 with three runs in Game 2 of the World Series in ANA's 11-10 comeback win...Started three-run rally with leadoff single in the third inning of Game 7 of the World Series...Halos scored three runs
in the inning to go up 4-1 for good...After the season, was on the MLB All-Star Series team that toured Japan...ranked second on the club in batting .429
(6-for-14)...Named among the best hit-and-run batters in Baseball America's "Best Tools" edition.2001His first full season in the Angels organization; made his Major League debut on Opening Day
and spent the whole season with the Big League club...Hit .285, finishing second all-time among Angel rookies (Wally Joyner, .290)...126 games at shortstop marked most by
ANA rookie since Gary DiSarcina in 1992 (157 games)...Led the AL with 21 hit by pitches, establishing a Major League rookie mark, held previously by Frank Robinson (20 HBP,
CIN, 1956)...also established an Angels single-season club record...16 sac hits led AL and set ANA rookie mark...Ranked second in AL in fewest strikeouts per total plate appearances (1/11.07 AB)...Finished among AL rookie leaders in average (2nd), multi-hit games (2nd, 45), runs scored (2nd, 82), hits (2nd,
166), total bases (3rd, 208), doubles (3rd, 26), stolen bases (4th, 29), walks (1st, 43) and on-base percentage
(2nd, .355)...Received the Fred Haney Award as the outstanding rookie in Spring Training...Made his Major League debut on Opening Day, 4/3 at TEX, as the starting second baseman...finished 1-for-3, collecting
his first Big League hit (single to left) off Kenny Rogers in the eighth inning...Hit safely in the first nine games of his Major League career, 4/3-12 (.406, 13-for-32).